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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27298345">If There's One Fool For You, Then I Am It</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/evol_love/pseuds/evol_love'>evol_love</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Friendship, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Rocky Horror Picture Show References, Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadowcast Performance, Set vaguely in the 90s, love that that's an existing tag</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:55:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,545</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27298345</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/evol_love/pseuds/evol_love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bev was Patient Zero for them all getting the Rocky Horror bug. She’d dragged Richie to a late night showing when they were fourteen, and they’d become obsessed. Bill and Eddie joining was totally by chance. </p>
<p>Or: The losers club gets involved in their local Rocky Horror shadowcast, where emotions run high and you can get away with pretty much anything except being yourself.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough/Audra Phillips, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Mike Hanlon/Stanley Uris, Minor or Background Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>If There's One Fool For You, Then I Am It</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy Halloween! Thanks as always to Anna @phonecallfromgod for cheering this on. </p>
<p>I feel like you can still get something out of this with no knowledge of Rocky Horror or shadowcasts, but for those uninitiated, the RHPS Shadowcast is a long-standing tradition where actors play out the scenes from the movie in front of the projector screen while it plays. People yell things at the movie. It's an extremely good and vulgar time, and the tradition I miss the most this weird Halloween season. I hope you enjoy this, and that it gives you a taste of that Rocky Horror Halloween magic. </p>
<p>Title from "Dammit Janet" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Eddie!” Bev screams. Eddie jumps at the sudden cry and looks up, but Bev barrels right past him and practically leaps into Ben’s arms where he’s standing in the doorway. Rolling his eyes, Eddie goes back to carefully painting dark circles on his face to make his features look sunken. </p>
<p>“You guys, seriously, we’re starting the run in ten, get your asses into the theater,” Stan calls. </p>
<p>“Thank you ten!” Richie sasses back, voice too sweet and causing Stan to glare at him before he walks back out of the makeshift greenroom. Really, Richie has no right sitting around where the others are frantically making themselves up for the final dress rehearsal—he’s just doing the callouts, and the only reason he’s in a suit instead of his horrible standard wardrobe is because Stan had insisted on aesthetic cohesion when he stepped up as their producer. </p>
<p>Bev was Patient Zero for them all getting the <em>Rocky Horror </em>bug. She’d dragged Richie to a late night showing when they were fourteen, and they’d become obsessed. Eddie vividly remembers them goofing off and teaching themselves the “Dammit Janet” choreography despite the fact that neither of them is a Brad <em>or </em>a Janet. Their obsession finally reached a fever pitch when they’d begged the Cinemagic the next town over (the closest they were willing to get to “local”) to put on its own shadowcast, which in turn had interested Ben. </p>
<p>Bill and Eddie joining was totally by chance. Back when Bill and Bev were dating, the tiny, mighty little shadowcast dream was just getting off the ground. Bev played Columbia, because of course she did, and Bill came to the bi-monthly shows to support her. At one particular performance, their Rocky had called in sick, and Bev had somehow managed to convince Bill to go on in his stead. Luckily, Rocky is an idiot and has no lines, so he’d been able to fake his way through pretty effectively, to the delight of the rest of the cast. From then on, Bill had been their understudy, going on as Eddie, Riff Raff, Brad.</p>
<p>Absolutely no one had expected Bill to really hit his stride as Frank, Bill least of all. But he had. Eddie had been in the audience that night, Richie calling him twenty minutes before showtime telling him he absolutely could not miss Bill’s Frank debut, and he’d had no idea where to look the entire show. It was fun, though, and when the cast turnover at the end of the summer left a smattering of open roles, Eddie had auditioned along with the others. </p>
<p>“Places, guys,” Stan calls. This job and this cast are going to give him an ulcer, Eddie’s sure. He slips on his black fingerless gloves and shoots a quick grin at Bill, who’s touching up his lipstick. </p>
<p>“Ready?”</p>
<p>“Is it weird how routine this feels at this point? I feel like I shouldn’t have gotten used to this,” Bill laughs, slipping the black cloak he needs for his Big Reveal over his costume. </p>
<p>“No, I get it. Somehow seeing everybody like this is normal.” Eddie gestures to the rest of the cast, Bev leaning in close to Ben’s face to draw on his head wound, Audra and Mike running through the car scene timing as they walk out to the theater together, the Transylvanians grabbing their accessories to pre-set for the change out of the wedding scene. </p>
<p>The building is mostly empty when Bill and Eddie walk from the staff room to Theater 4, save for a couple employees who whistle at them. Eddie ignores them, but Bill smiles; the staff <em>loves </em>Bill, and the shadowcast definitely got more popular amongst employees when he joined the cast permanently. </p>
<p>Richie’s already in his spot when Eddie and Bill walk in, sat in the center of the back row. Stan had stressed about where best to seat Richie for the callouts, but of course, he’s plenty loud enough to yell from the back, and it makes for a better ambience. </p>
<p>“Looking <em>good,</em> Bill!” Richie calls to them. Eddie flips him off and Richie laughs. “Aww Eds, don’t be jealous. It’s not my fault you look like a corpse, and that’s not really my thing.” </p>
<p>Eddie feels his face grow hot, scowling as he yells back, “Oh shut up, Richie.” He doesn’t even have to look at Bill directly to know he’s giving Eddie a Sympathetic Knowing Look, which is even more infuriating. Why he ever told Bill about his dumb, ill-advised crush on Richie in the first place, he’ll never know. Whatever. He needs to focus on rehearsal. They all do. </p>
<p>“Okay, is everyone here? Are we ready?” Stan asks. Eddie wonders what Stan’s blood pressure numbers look like. There’s a murmur of assent, and Stan settles into his own position in the front row, their basket of assorted absurd props at his feet. </p>
<p>“ONE, TWO, THREE! START THE FUCKING MOVIE!” Richie calls dutifully. Eddie shakes his head, unable to hide the small smile that creeps up on him. The fact that that’s sincerely the line Richie is <em>supposed </em>to deliver is just too perfect. He’s a natural. “A long, long time ago, God said ‘let there be lips.’ And there were. And they...” Richie paused dramatically, and Eddie could <em>hear </em>him smirking. “Were <em>good.</em>” </p>
<p>Stan lets the cast get away with screaming the callout responses through “Science Fiction/Double Feature” since there’s no audience, but he’s sure there will be notes after. Whatever. He grins at Bev and joins in on the cry of “and fucking, and sucking on” “<em>Brad and Janet...</em>”</p>
<p>As Riff, Eddie largely gets to space out for the first few scenes of the show. The role mostly consists of annoying Bill backstage and resisting the temptation to flick the flashlight he needs for his “Over At the Frankenstein Place” bit on and off repeatedly out of boredom. Which, really, is just an extension of annoying Bill, once he finally and inevitably gives into the impulse. </p>
<p>He never knows exactly what the first callout Richie’s going to throw his way will be. </p>
<p>Yes, there’s a set script, but Richie mostly views that as a guideline, to Stan’s chagrin. He’s very fond of improv with this show, and he’ll happily omit a joke he doesn’t feel will get the laughter he deserves. Or, not even laughter so much as squawks of outrage, if their last run was anything to go by. As much as Richie is absolutely perfect in this role of Loud Moviegoer, Eddie sometimes wonders if Stan made the right call giving him full license to be as crass as he wants with a captive audience. </p>
<p>It’s a thought that lingers with him even as he finally makes his proper entrance into the show, and doesn’t really leave him. He’s sure Stan is going to grill him during notes about being distracted. Whatever. </p>
<p>“Hi! My name is Brad Majors—” Mike starts when Eddie peers around the edge of the screen. </p>
<p>“Asshole!” Richie interjects enthusiastically. </p>
<p>“—and this is my fiancee, Janet Weiss.” </p>
<p>“Slut!” Richie crows. This is par for the course. </p>
<p>“I wonder if you could help us. You see, our car broke down a few miles up the road... do you have a phone we might use?”</p>
<p>“Hey Riff!” Richie calls down. “Know what I told your mom last time I saw her?”</p>
<p>Eddie fully breaks the fourth wall to glare up at Richie in astonishment before gritting his teeth and following that up with his next line: “You’re wet.” Richie cackles in the back row. Eddie attempts to refocus. </p>
<p>That’s a new one. It’s transparently Richie in origin and absolutely guaranteed to get him a <em>stern talking-to </em>from Stan, which is the only thing keeping Eddie from throwing rehearsal by the wayside and telling him off himself. </p>
<p>Richie sticks to the script for awhile after that. Unfortunately, the staging of the “Time Warp” comes with a built-in Your Mom joke, but Eddie can at least blow that one off as pre-existing.</p>
<p>It keeps going, though. Rehearsal goes on mostly without a hitch, but Richie continues to ad lib callouts, mostly directed at Eddie, and he’ll admit it throws him off his rhythm. He’s not sure what Richie’s problem is with him, but he’s going to have to leave the show out of it. Also, he almost pulls Audra’s slip off with her dress in the lead up to the lab scene, causing him to break character entirely to apologize while she laughs and smooths her costume back down over her thighs. Thank god Bill knows he’s interested in Richie (unfortunately) and not Audra, or they’d have to repeat that awkward time Bill had discovered Eddie also had a crush on Bev. </p>
<p>“Okay guys, great job,” Stan tells them as they finish up curtain call. He sounds sincere, which is nice. Stan never sugarcoats it when a run goes poorly. “It’s getting late, so I’ll give notes in the green room while you guys put your costumes away.”</p>
<p>“You’re the man, Stan,” Mike says, sounding exhausted. Which is fair, considering how the end of this show goes for Brad. Stan smiles at Mike, looking almost shy. </p>
<p>“Take five to go change, I’ll be in after I pack up the props. Richie, give me a hand?” Some traitor part of Eddie’s brain tries to make him stay behind too under the pretense of helping them pack up just so he can bitch at Richie a little more, but he really does need to scrub his makeup off before it makes him break out or something. He glances over his shoulder at Richie bounding down the stairs to Stan with a stupid smile on his face, then heads off to join the others getting out of costume. Not that anyone’s wearing much of anything at the end of the show anyway. </p>
<p>Bill and Audra are talking animatedly about something when Eddie walks in. Ben and Bev haven’t even bothered getting out of costume, instead choosing to review their dance break for some reason. Well. Okay, Eddie <em>knows </em>the reason, but they could at least <em>try </em>to be subtle about being super into each other, they’ve rehearsed this same choreography nonstop since the first rehearsal months ago. Eddie doesn’t really get why they don’t just kiss already (in a non-performance context, at least) when they’re both obviously in love. It reminds him of something Bill said the other day about people being more oblivious to the reality of a situation the more involved they are. </p>
<p>Thankfully, Stan’s notes are succinct, and they get to leave before midnight. </p>
<p>“Hey Eds!” Richie calls after him. “Need to hitch a ride?” </p>
<p>This actually gives Eddie pause. He...hadn’t really been expecting that. </p>
<p>“Nah, that’s okay, I was gonna just tag along with Bill. Thanks, though.” He smiles at Richie tentatively. </p>
<p>“Come on, you’re on my way anyway. Besides,” Richie adds conspiratorially, looking back at the others over his shoulder. “I think Bill is angling to give Ms. Phillips a ride, if you know what I mean.”</p>
<p>“Gross,” Eddie says automatically, wrinkling his nose. Bill is still chatting with Audra as they collect their things, though, and while normally Eddie would insert himself into the situation anyway with zero remorse, Richie’s already offered him an easy solution. “Fine.” Richie raises an eyebrow and Eddie snorts. God, Richie is dumb. “I’ll take the ride home. If you’re still offering.” Richie lights up at this.</p>
<p>“Seriously?” Eddie rolls his eyes. </p>
<p>“If you don’t want to—” he starts. </p>
<p>“Aw, don’t be like that,” Richie says, falling back into their routine easily enough. He starts out of the theater, then turns back and gives Eddie a quizzical look. “You coming?”</p>
<p>“Fuck you, Richie,” Eddie sighs, but he trails after him after a quick wave goodbye to Bill. He doesn’t even wait to see if Bill notices. </p>
<p>It’s silly, Eddie <em>knows</em> it’s silly, but he’s a little disappointed and a little annoyed that Richie’s only giving him a ride home to help out Bill. It’s beyond dumb for Eddie to be mad that Richie doesn’t want to spend time with him just for the sake of it. He needs to be a rational person about this. Maybe this is what being a good friend or wingman or whatever the fuck looks like in the straight world, and that’s fine. Eddie doesn’t need to be bitter about it. </p>
<p>Eddie is bitter about it. </p>
<p>They sit mostly in silence for about five minutes, which is <em>weird </em>for the pair of them. </p>
<p>“Why so down in the dumps?” Richie asks finally. Eddie huffs a laugh that is nothing but hostile; leave it to Richie to zero in on Eddie’s emotions only when Eddie has no way of getting out of the conversation. “I thought rehearsal went pretty well.”</p>
<p>“It did,” Eddie agrees tersely. Richie chuckles, and Eddie grits his teeth. </p>
<p>“Okay, so you’re pissed at me,” Richie says. </p>
<p>“Why did you throw so many callouts at me tonight?” Eddie snaps. It’s not what he meant to say, or even what he thought about saying, but suddenly he is white-hot with anger about it. Why does Richie give him so much attention all the time just to give him shit, to tease and pick and poke at him and leave Eddie stewing about it for hours later? And why does Eddie <em>like </em>it? How is that fucking fair, in what world does that make any fucking sense? How has Richie so gotten under Eddie’s skin that he relishes Richie’s attention even and especially when he’s being an idiot to him? </p>
<p>He’s so caught up in his own onslaught of fury that it takes him a minute to realize Richie isn’t answering the question. Eddie looks at the way he’s clutching the steering wheel, staring straight ahead and not at Eddie, and he tsks impatiently. </p>
<p>“Well?” he demands. </p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Richie says. “They just came to me.”</p>
<p>The drive is somehow more tense than before, but they manage a conversation about rehearsal and when the hell Ben is finally going to make his move and kiss Bev already.</p>
<p>“At this point, she’s totally making the first move,” Richie insists. “He’s too freaked out that she’s going to turn him down. I’ll bet you anything.”</p>
<p>“I don’t take bets. And even if I did, I wouldn’t take that one. I’m not stupid.” Richie laughs. Eddie bristles. </p>
<p>“You make this too easy,” Richie says.</p>
<p>“Your sister’s too easy,” Eddie mumbles, slouching down in his chair. </p>
<p>They arrive at Eddie’s, or more accurately, they arrive a few blocks down from Eddie’s house and Richie stops. </p>
<p>“I figure you might be better off not being seen in my car,” Richie says, uncharacteristically thoughtful. Eddie frowns. </p>
<p>“Uh, yeah. Thanks.” He unbuckles his seatbelt and climbs out. “Oh, and Rich?”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Richie asks. He looks weirdly serious, like he’s actually listening to Eddie for once. </p>
<p>“If you pull any of that shit from rehearsal tomorrow night, I’m going to kick your ass.”</p>
<p>Richie beams at him. </p>
<p>“I would expect nothing else,” he says happily. “Night, Eds.”</p>
<p>“Go fuck yourself!” Eddie calls back, but there’s no bite in it, and he waves goodbye as Richie pulls away. </p>
<p>-----</p>
<p>Ben is playing the saxophone when Eddie walks into the dressing room the next night. This would be novel by itself, but it’s even wilder when Eddie remembers that Ben doesn’t even actually play the saxophone during the show, he just pantomimes it so it isn’t overbearingly loud in the confined space. </p>
<p>“Did you <em>learn </em>the sax solo for the song?” he asks incredulously. It’s always “the song”—over his dead body is he going to say the phrase “Hot Patootie” within earshot of Richie Tozier. </p>
<p>Ben flushes bright red, setting the saxophone aside. </p>
<p>“Oh, yeah, it’s actually a really interesting instrument,” he says quickly, but Eddie doesn’t miss the sideways glance at Bev, who’d been watching attentively until Eddie interrupted. He represses a long-suffering sigh. </p>
<p>“No, totally, that’s cool,” Eddie tells him, already walking away. He has a tendency to get tension headaches when he spends too much time near Ben and Bev. Which is not to say he doesn’t love them both; he absolutely does. He just doesn’t understand them at all. Maybe he missed the memo the day they finally announced they were kissing and stuff. Except there’s no way Richie would have missed that news, and then they’d <em>all </em>have heard about it.</p>
<p>Mike is already in costume and sitting politely at one of the staffroom tables they’d shoved to the side. He smiles at Eddie when Eddie throws his jacket down and grabs his costume off the rack.</p>
<p>“Excited for tonight?” Mike asks. Eddie shrugs. </p>
<p>“Yeah, I think it’ll be a good one.”</p>
<p>“You were really good last night! Everyone was. This is a fun group.”</p>
<p>“I’ll never understand how we roped you into this, Mike,” Eddie laughs, shaking his head as he pulls his shirt on. “This is the loudest most obnoxious group of people I know. Well, I guess Bill isn’t. But still.”</p>
<p>“No,” Mike exclaims, eyes wide. “You guys are the best friends I’ve ever had.” </p>
<p>Eddie pauses in dressing. He was not prepared for this level of vulnerability this evening, certainly not before the show had even started. He looks back at Mike, who doesn’t even appear aware of what a loaded statement he’d just made. It softens Eddie a little, and he gives him an honest smile. </p>
<p>“Well, we’re glad you’re here.” He looks around the room. “You think any of these idiots could pull off Brad?”</p>
<p>“Who’s pulling off Brad?” Richie’s voice calls behind him, and Eddie groans as Mike stifles a laugh. </p>
<p>“I meant what I said last night,” Eddie says, not turning around because he seriously cannot even let the concept of being in any state of undress in close proximity to Richie enter his mind. “Knock it off with the dumb extra jokes. I know you’re your own biggest fan, but it just makes the show look bad if you’re the only one laughing.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, I gave him a thorough warning,” Stan says dryly as he comes to join them. </p>
<p>“Well don’t make it sound so scandalous, people will talk.” And Eddie <em>knows </em>Richie is just making another stupid joke like he always does, but it raises the hair on the back of his neck all the same. </p>
<p>“Can you fuck off and let me get ready for the show?” he snaps. He can’t see Richie or Stan’s faces, but the way Mike is looking up at them, surprised and a little awkward, tells him all he needs to know.</p>
<p>“Alright,” Richie says finally. “C’mon Stanley, Eds hasn’t had his happy pills today.” Which is a low fucking blow, and Richie knows it. </p>
<p>He should probably apologize to Mike for causing a scene in front of him, but he can’t make himself say the words. So when he’s done getting into costume, he looks up at him, nods, and walks away to leave him in peace. </p>
<p>“Hey!” Bev says cheerfully, sprawling across the table where Eddie had chosen to sit instead. “What are you scowling about?”</p>
<p>“Richie’s just being a dick, as usual,” he tells her. She grins, which twists her already garish makeup into something right out of a funhouse. </p>
<p>“Well if you let <em>that</em> get you down every time, you’d be miserable,” she says. She might be onto something. </p>
<p>“You look like a Batman villain,” he tells her. She beams. </p>
<p>“Thanks. It took ages to get the eyebrows right. I’ve been helping Ben with his, too.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, the gore looks good,” he tells her, and he deserves a fucking Peace Prize for not saying what he <em>wants </em>to say, that Ben knows full well how to do his own makeup after months. She looks delighted by the compliment, though, and Eddie’s going to call that one his good deed of the day. It probably cancels out traumatizing Mike earlier. </p>
<p>“Okay, listen up,” Stan calls. A few people look up, but activity mostly continues. Stan shoots a pained look at Bill, who nods and walks to the center of the room. </p>
<p>“Hey! Listen to Stan!” he calls. That shuts everyone up. </p>
<p>“Thanks,” Stan says stiffly. “Okay, so according to the box office, we’re officially sold out tonight.” A few people cheer; Audra smiles at Bill and pecks him on the cheek. “Which is great news, obviously, but it also means you all need to do your jobs and <em>not </em>goof around.”</p>
<p>“Well you don’t have to look right at me,” Richie scoffs, and Bev giggles. He turns and smiles winningly at her before sticking his tongue out, and she gives it right back to him. There is absolutely no reason that should warm Eddie’s heart, so he stamps the feeling out as soon as it surfaces. </p>
<p>“Just...put on a good show, okay?” Stan says finally, tired. </p>
<p>“Aw, Stan,” Bev coos. “We’re gonna make you proud. Right guys?” There’s a general murmur of agreement, Ben responding enthusiastically, Mike smiling and nodding back at Stan. Stan looks flushed at the suddenly supportive environment; it’s an extremely rare occurrence. </p>
<p>“Right,” Stan says. Eddie thinks he might be choked up, or maybe he’s just flustered. It’s the kind of thing Richie would probably be giving him shit for in normal circumstances, but Richie’s just sitting in the back with this small, proud little smile that Eddie can’t look at for more than a second. He swallows and looks back out at the rest of the room, and it hits him for the first time in awhile just what they’re all doing. The absurd and skimpy costumes, the absolutely unspeakable shit they’ll all have done by the end of the night. And he loves it. All of it, and all of them. Even Richie. Especially Richie. Whatever. </p>
<p>He wonders, sometimes, why Richie never auditioned with the others when the cast turnover happened last year. He’s louder and more exuberant than any of them, and certainly the only one you could really call a performer. If he auditioned, he’d be a shoo-in for basically any role he wanted, but he hadn’t. Hell, he’d only stepped in to do the callouts because Stan had asked him to, and he was already always hanging around rehearsals anyway. </p>
<p>“Places in five. Have a good show, guys,” Stan finishes, to a chorus of thank you’s from the cast. </p>
<p>“Ya ready, Eddie?” Richie asks, slinging an arm around Eddie’s shoulders. For once, Eddie doesn’t immediately shrug him off. </p>
<p>“Break a leg, dickhead,” he tells him. It comes out way too fond, but Richie probably doesn’t notice. </p>
<p>“I hope you don’t mean that literally, Eds, you wound me.”</p>
<p>“Of course I mean it, trashmouth,” he grins. Richie smiles back, and Eddie thinks maybe all is forgiven.</p>
<p>-----</p>
<p>To his credit, Richie is a total professional during the show. Or, at least, he’s as much of a professional as someone whose job is screaming obscenities in a packed movie theater can be. He still wanders off book every so often, but even Eddie can admit they’re good quips, and the show is going so well he doesn’t care if Richie’s “Hey Riff, show us your mom!” sounds extra lecherous. Plus, it’s been a long time since Eddie got to experience an audience shrieking in excitement when he and Magenta burst through the theater entrance in their final scene, and it’s just as gratifying as he remembered. </p>
<p>As he makes his final exit, a few straggling audience members continuing to scream “<em>elbow sex!” </em>after him, he sees Bev standing alone with a wild look in her eyes. </p>
<p>“You okay?” he asks with a frown. She bites her lip. </p>
<p>“How tacky would it be if I did something crazy at bows?” she asks, all in a rush like she can outrun her impulse control. </p>
<p>“Depends what you mean by crazy...” Eddie says. “Like, setting the theater on fire crazy or flashing the audience crazy, because we got phone calls last time—”</p>
<p>“Like kissing Ben crazy.” Eddie snaps his mouth shut. </p>
<p>“I—”</p>
<p>“Guys!” Audra hisses, pushing past them as she exits too. “Bill has to get through for curtain!” Eddie shoots Bev a look as they separate, but he has no idea what the look on her face means she’s decided. </p>
<p>The crowd is going wild at curtain call, which mostly means they’re all drunk or high (or both) but which also means they had a great show. Bill puts an arm around Audra after her bow and presses a kiss to her forehead, and the audience eats that up too. It’s an adrenaline rush, Eddie thinks as he takes his bow after Mike. A stretch of time where they’re not in character anymore, but they’re not quite themselves yet either, and in that space they can be anything, do anything. Which is probably exactly what Bev was thinking too, and exactly why she runs up to Ben after his bow, jumping into his arms the way she does in their dance and kissing him in front of everybody. It probably feels like another bit, a choreographed moment to bring a little extra horniness to the post-show credits, but Eddie sees Ben’s wide eyes, the way Bev nods softly at him like she’s saying <em>yes</em>. He knows not a moment of it is for the audience. </p>
<p>He bops along to the Time Warp as the movie finally wraps up, but he’s already thinking about how thoroughly he’s going to have to scrub all his makeup off before getting home at a reasonable hour. Usually, the cast sticks around in the theater to say hi to their friends, or to have drunk people tell them how hot they are, or something, but Eddie splits pretty much as soon as he can to get a head start on packing up. And it’s still a fun walk back to the staff room, with people gawping at him in the hall in a way that makes him grin back at them. </p>
<p>“Hey man, killer show,” some drunk guy calls, and Eddie waves. </p>
<p>“Tell your friends!” he yells back, knowing Stan would be pleased. He leans against the door of the staffroom as a group of costumed girls walk by and scream their praises too. He laughs and thanks them, assuring them he’ll be performing the whole rest of the weekend before finally pushing back against the door and slipping inside.  </p>
<p>The room is dark, and he hums the chorus of the Time Warp to himself as he wipes away his makeup and sets out his normal clothes. Then he turns and almost jumps out of his skin when he realizes there’s another person sitting in the corner. </p>
<p>“Jesus Richie, you nearly gave me a heart attack,” he yelps. Richie offers him a tight smile. </p>
<p>“Sorry.” Eddie frowns. </p>
<p>“Dude, what’s wrong? Why are you hiding out like a weirdo?” Richie laughs at that.</p>
<p>“I promised your mom I’d meet her back here, but it looks like she stood me up,” he says. And it <em>sounds </em>like Richie. They’re Richie’s words. But they don’t quite ring true. It makes Eddie’s stomach hurt. </p>
<p>“Well, hey, how does it feel to be right?” he tries. “Bev and Ben? That was quite a kiss, huh?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I feel like a real winner,” Richie says, punching the air, voice still flat. Eddie’s getting desperate. He needs Richie to be normal and obnoxious and <em>himself</em> again. </p>
<p>“Okay, what is your problem?” Eddie demands. Then a horrible thought occurs to him, ice running through his veins. “Shit, you aren’t—you don’t like Bev, do you? Like, I get it, but that’s kind of fucked up, man. You could’ve made your move months ago! You don’t get to be mad that she chose Ben.”</p>
<p>And now Richie <em>really </em>laughs, a full, real laugh that warms Eddie right back up.</p>
<p>“No, I am not jealous of Ben. If anything—” but he stops himself abruptly, looking like he swallowed poison. </p>
<p>“Richie?” Eddie asks. He’s not sure what he’s asking for. He moves forward without really meaning to, joining Richie in the corner behind the costume racks. </p>
<p>“I’m just going to...I’m going to try something,” Richie blurts out. He sounds scattered, unsure. Eddie doesn’t know that person. As he watches, Richie takes a deep, steadying breath, looking at the wall, the ceiling, the floor, anywhere but at Eddie. “So I’m. You know.” Eddie does <em>not </em>know. Richie coughs. Laughs again nervously. “You know, like, like, gay, or whatever.” </p>
<p>He’s still not looking at Eddie, which is probably for the best, because Eddie’s sure his own facial expressions are all over the fucking place.</p>
<p>“So yeah. I don’t like Bev,” Richie finishes. </p>
<p>They’re saved from having to talk about whatever the fuck just happened when anotherperson comes crashing through the door, which turns out to actually be two persons. </p>
<p>“So you liked it?” Mike asks, breathless. </p>
<p>“Shut up, oh my god, you were so fucking hot,” Stan groans, and Eddie realizes they are <em>making out against the door jesus fucking christ. </em>He turns his head, and Richie has finally decided to make eye contact with Eddie so he can mouth “oh my god” at him. He looks pale. Eddie nods feverishly in agreement. What the fuck. What the fuck! </p>
<p>Eddie keeps his eyes on Richie, which has the unfortunate side effect of making him flush red as he tries to be a totally normal person about it. His survival instincts are the only thing keeping him from demanding just what exactly Richie meant by all that shit he just said, and why he wanted to tell Eddie, and why <em>now</em>. But it’s that or look over at Stan and Mike, and as it is, he can hear more than enough. Richie’s eyes are darting all over the place, refusing to land on Eddie. Eddie wants to kick him in the shins. </p>
<p>“Fuck,” Stan says, and Eddie is terrified for a moment before he realizes someone is knocking on the door. Thank god. He glances over in time to see Stan back away from Mike enough that he can slip over to his stuff on the table before Stan opens the door. Bill and Audra walk in, barely paying attention to how pink and pissed off Stan looks at having been interrupted. </p>
<p>“Hey, sorry for biting you in the pool scene,” Bill tells Mike as he starts peeling off what’s left of his costume. Stan looks absolutely homicidal. </p>
<p>“They’re kicking us out at midnight so get to it,” Stan tells the room. Eddie waits for him to leave before emerging from behind the costume rack. </p>
<p>“Eddie!” Bill calls. “Great show!” </p>
<p>“Thanks,” Eddie says tensely. He’s suddenly processing <em>so much</em> that he’d forgotten they’d even performed tonight. He glances back, and Richie has shuffled out of the corner, off somewhere else to bother someone else, or maybe to freak out about whatever the hell just happened between them because...</p>
<p>Oh jesus christ. </p>
<p>“Hey, don’t worry about giving me a ride home,” he tells Bill. Bill looks confused. </p>
<p>“Okay? What are, where are you going? I mean, your, your mom’s not coming, right?” Bill asks, concerned. In different circumstances, such a classic Bill moment would probably have made him smile, but right now all he can think about is Richie. </p>
<p>“I’ll tell you about it tomorrow,” he promises, already heading for the door. He’s still half in costume, and thank god he removed his makeup first because he really doesn’t think he could do this looking like a dead body. He bursts back out into the hall, whipping around until he sees a familiar figure leaving through the fire exit. He starts running. </p>
<p>“Rich!” he calls after him, even though it’s pointless. “Richie!” He slams through the fire door and into the cold night after him. </p>
<p>Richie hasn’t gotten far, and he turns around with a confused look that turns guarded when he sees Eddie. He doesn’t say anything. </p>
<p>“Why’d you leave, idiot?” Richie snorts. </p>
<p>“Seriously?” </p>
<p>“You can’t just spring that shit on me and leave,” he insists. Now Richie just looks pissed. </p>
<p>“Was I supposed to stick around for you to keep staring at me like that, Eddie?” he snaps. </p>
<p>“Staring at you like <em>what, </em>dickhead?” Eddie demands, which is so far from the most important point here, or even from what Eddie wanted to say, but seriously Richie is so full of shit sometimes. </p>
<p>“Like—like things were different.”</p>
<p>“Things <em>were</em> different,” Eddie says slowly. “Stan literally had his tongue in Mike’s mouth at that point.”</p>
<p>“Oh my god,” Richie groans. “Yeah, what the fuck was <em>that </em>about? He never said anything...” he trails off, but Eddie thinks he gets it. For once, he feels a little sympathetic towards Richie Tozier. </p>
<p>“He probably just didn’t know how to tell you,” Eddie says with a sigh. “The same way you never said anything to him. Right?” Richie swallows. He doesn’t answer, but Eddie can see Richie is taking his point, so he pushes forward. “And the same way I never said anything either.” </p>
<p>It takes Richie a minute; Eddie watches carefully as comprehension dawns, as he slowly looks over at Eddie like he doesn’t quite believe him. </p>
<p>“You...but...”</p>
<p>Eddie shrugs. </p>
<p>“Yeah. I guess.”</p>
<p>Richie looks out at the parking lot. When he exhales, Eddie can see his breath in the cold night air. They’re both going to get pneumonia from this fucking conversation. Richie still looks like he doesn’t understand. Eddie’s never seen him this quiet. It’s disturbing. </p>
<p>“Richie, can you please fucking say something, because you’re seriously starting to creep me out,” he tells him. He’s sure Bill or Stan or any number of their friends would reproach him for his lack of tact, but seriously, Richie’s just found out that at least three of the people he regularly spends time with also like guys, he can’t actually think there’s something wrong with him. </p>
<p>“Doesn’t seem fair,” Richie says at last. “I mean Bill and Audra are a given, and Bev and Ben we all saw coming, but Mike and Stanley too? It’s like everyone’s getting some tonight, and here I thought I actually had an excuse not to, but Stan clearly hasn’t had that problem.” It’s barely even an attempt at humor, just the wrong side of bitter. It’s more obvious than Richie would probably like that this is <em>actually </em>bothering him. </p>
<p>“Do you want me to kiss you?” Eddie asks. </p>
<p>This is why he doesn’t go places without Bill. Fuck everything. Instead of panicking, though, he just raises his eyebrow. A challenge. <em>Take it or leave it, Tozier. </em>Eddie steadfastly pretends he doesn’t care either way. </p>
<p>“What?” Richie asks. Or shrieks, more like. Squeaks. It’s not a sound Eddie’s ever heard before. </p>
<p>“If you’re being weird because everyone else is kissing, I could just kiss you now so you can stop being such a dick.” Honestly, Eddie’s pretty pleased with his own logic, but Richie is just gaping at him, opening his mouth and then closing it again. “Or not, jesus, you could just say no.”</p>
<p>“No,” Richie repeats, and Eddie knows that’s gonna hurt later. “I mean, no!” Richie splutters. “No, we could...I mean, if you think it’s a good idea—” Eddie cuts him off with a frustrated noise. </p>
<p>“Why are you so annoying,” he snarls, taking Richie’s face in his hands and kissing him impatiently. </p>
<p>He’s not prepared for the way Richie melts into the kiss. In the rare moments Eddie had actually let himself think about it, he’d always sort of imagined Richie would be his worst cocky self if they kissed, that he’d want to show off the moves he supposedly has, try to take control, but the reality is Richie feels so fragile Eddie’s scared he’s going to break him. </p>
<p>“You okay?” he asks, eyes still closed. Richie laughs nervously, so Eddie kisses him again. </p>
<p>“Better,” Richie says tentatively. “Maybe try it one more time?” His voice is shaking, so Eddie kisses him even harder. “Okay,” he says, and Eddie will admit, he does sound a lot steadier. He steps back, opening his eyes at last. </p>
<p>“Okay,” Eddie agrees. “Can you stop being an idiot now?”</p>
<p>Eddie’s not sure what he would call Richie’s expression, but it shutters at Eddie’s words. </p>
<p>“Yep,” Richie says. “You’ve done your job. Now you can go.” Eddie folds his arms. </p>
<p>“You’re still being an idiot,” he says. </p>
<p>“Eds,” Richie chokes out, and it’s so startling Eddie loses any sense of superiority he’d felt. “Can you please just go? I’m sorry, I just. I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?” He turns like he’s going to leave, and Eddie panics. </p>
<p>“I told Bill not to drive me home tonight.” </p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“I told Bill to leave without me. Because I wanted to go with you instead.” Clearly, he and Richie aren’t getting anywhere if he doesn’t give at least a little. It makes Richie pause, but now he’s looking at Eddie like he’s waiting for him to say more. “Come on, Rich, you know I didn’t kiss you just to make you behave.” </p>
<p>“Please don’t fuck with me Eddie,” Richie says, and that’s really all the confirmation Eddie needs that Richie wants this too. He steps back in and kisses Richie again, and this time, he really lets himself mean it. </p>
<p>“Shit,” Eddie says abruptly. “They’re locking the building at midnight. What time is it?” </p>
<p>“You’re the one with the watch,” Richie mumbles, not letting go of him. Eddie cranes his neck to try and make out the display on his watch. </p>
<p>“<em>Fuck</em>,” he says. “Richie, all my shit is inside.”</p>
<p>“Come home with me,” Richie says, then sucks in a breath like his brain had just caught up with his mouth. “Not—just so you don’t have to go home like,” he gestures at Eddie’s costume. </p>
<p>“Yeah,” Eddie agrees, mouth dry. “She’ll be pissed off but I’ll tell her she forgot I was staying over at Bill’s or something.” </p>
<p>“Yeah,” Richie agrees, and he’s so obviously putting on an act about being calm and in control that Eddie laughs out loud. “What?”</p>
<p>“You’re cute when you’re being stupid,” Eddie admits, and Richie beams. </p>
<p>“Oh my god you totally liked all my callouts didn’t you.” Eddie presses his mouth into a flat, expressionless line and walks away to Richie’s car. He can hear Richie running after him. “You <em>did! </em>Which one was your favorite? I was pretty proud of the one about where Magenta could stick her—”</p>
<p>“Beep beep, Richie!” </p>
<p>Richie grins when they reach his car. He’s smiling and joking and being awful, and Eddie is so ridiculously fucking happy about all of it. Maybe Richie’s not totally ready to talk about all of this, what it means, where they go from here, but right now, Eddie’s perfectly happy to have Richie like this. Tomorrow, Richie will drive him back to the theater so he can get his clothes, and maybe they’ll spend the day together before the show too. But now, Eddie groans at Richie’s terrible punchlines and kisses him stupid when they get into his house, and he thinks it’s exactly what they’re supposed to be. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks so much for reading! Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. </p>
<p>Find me on tumblr @lesbiantoziers</p></blockquote></div></div>
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